Driving mechanism for washing machines



Jan. 13, 1942. OAKLEY 2,270,080

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed May 28, 1941 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVING MECHANISM FOR WASHDNG MACHINES Application May .28, 1941, Serial No. 395,551

8 Claims.

As a special feature of the invention, the novel operating mechanism includes a driving member having a plurality of driving elements, and a plurality of driven members which are independently engageable thereby. Also the means is provided for selectively engaging the driving and driven elements so as to obtain different oscillating efiects.

As another special feature of the invention, the engageable means includes frictionally engageable surfaces or faces and adjustable yieldable means for urging the same into operative relation which means is adapted to permit'relative movements of the driving and driven members when the load on the oscillatable shaft overcomes the ability of the yielding means to hold the members in operative engagement.

As a further special feature of the invention a rotary member is connected to a reciprocating driving member which is guided for back and forth movements in a straight line whereby the driving member and oscillatable driven member coact with uniformity throughout a cycle of operation thereby to insure smoothness and uniform movements of the driven member.

The novel features of the invention are adapted for broad application wherever it is desired to oscillate a shaft or the like, but for purposes of disclosure it will be described in connection with a paddle or agitator shaft of a washing machine.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is an inverted plan view of a tub of a washing machine having the novel operating or driving mechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, wherein similar reference figures refer to like parts, and referring more particularly to the preferred form of my invention which has been selected for illustrative purposes, I have shown in Fig. 1 a lower wall 2 of a washing machine tub 4. A shaft 6 extends through the bottom wall 2 into the tub and it is suitably journalled in a casing 8. The part of the shaft 8 in the tub carries the usual agitator or paddle, which is not shown, and said shaft and paddle are agitated or oscillated by the mechanism of my invention to be described. The casing 8 is of usual construction and is adapted for enclosing the mechanism and to be secured to the tub in the usual manner. A cover for the casing and not shown, may be secured thereto to close the open side thereof.

A shaft l2 journalled for rotation in a side of the casing 8 is connected by a coupling M to a shaft l6 of a motor IS. The said motor I8 is carried by a support 20 which is associated with the casing, substantially as shown.

A shaft 22, having its lower portion journalled in the casing extends upwardly from the casing alongside of the tub 4 for driving a wringer in the usual manner. Said shaft 22 is driven by means of a worm wheel 24, with which is engaged a worm 26 fixed to the shaft l2. As the shaft I2 is rotated, the shaft 22 and the worm gear 24 are also rotated. The worm gear 24 may be termed the propeller 0r rotatable member.

A member 30 consisting of a plurality of discs is fixed on the oscillatable shaft 6 or the member 30 has spaced circumferential grooves 32, 36, and 38, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. This member 30, or the members of which it is formed, may be called the driven member or members.

A driven member indicated by 3! includes a plurality of driving elements such as 3 3, 35 and 31. These driving elements have upper and lower sides that are relatively angularly disposed that are complemental to the sides of the grooves of driven member 30. When any one of the driving elements is pressed towards its respective groove of the driven member the said driven member is oscillated back and forth. Since the driven member has grooves of different diameters it and the shaft 6 may be oscillated through different angles depending upon which driven element is urged into operative engagement with the driven member.

The elements constituting the driving member may be held in associated relation by various means but for purposes of disclosure there are bolts and 42 arranged in such a way that the driving elements are movable relative to one another in directions towards and away from the driven member but are held against relative lonitudinal movements.

This is so that any one of the driving elements may be urged into driving engagement with a groove of the driven member independently of the others while they are reciprocated or moved back and forth as a unit.

As stated, this may be accomplished in various ways but as an example, there may be bushings around the bolts 40 and 4|, such as at 44 around bolt 40 in Fig. 2 which prevent the elements being clamped too tightly for the desired relative movements referred. The holes in the bushings may be slightly elongated transversely of the elements or the holes receiving the bushings may be so elongated.

The driving member is guided for reciprocating movements back and forth for the purpose referred to and this may be accomplished in various ways. As an example a guide member has a rear wall 52, a lower wall 52, and upper walls 54 and 56 overlying the driving elements 33 and 31, between which walls the driven member is restrained for sliding movements.

The guiding mechanism is so arranged that the driving member is guided for movements back and forth in a straight line path while any one of said elements may be urged inwardly sufficiently to frictionally engage its respective groove of the driven element.

A connecting member 58 is pivoted at one end as at 69 to the rotating member 24 and at its other end to one of the bolts of the drive member such as the bolt 40.

As the member 24 rotates the drive member 3i is reciprocated back and forth in a straight line path which would not be the case were the drive member a non-guided part of the member 53. In such a case the angularity of the driving member relative to the axis of the driven member is constantly changing which is objectionable. In this case frictional action of the driving element and driven member is uniform and constant throughout a cycle of operation, that is at all times a certain angle of oscillation corresponding to a certain length of movement of the driver at all times.

The driving elements may be urged into driving engagement with their respective grooves of the driven member by various means. As an example, a plurality of levers such as 60 are carried somewhat loosely on the inner ends of adjusting bolts such as 62 that are in threaded engagement with the casing. Resilient end members 84 are fixed to the levers 69 which engage the rear sides of the driving elements. A shaft 68 journalled in the casing has a plurality of cam members 70, one for each lever 59, that act on said levers to swing them clockwise and cause the spring ends thereof to yieldingly bear on the driving elements. A manually engageable member 14 is provided on shaft for rotating or oscillating the same so as to cause the cam members .to bear on their respective levers 60.

By turning said shaft 68 any selected lever 60 may be caused to operate on its related driving element to obtain the angle of oscillation of shaft 6 desired.

The adjusting bolts 62 may be adjusted in and out to act on the levers and thereby vary or adjust the pressure applied by the levers to the driving elements.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a driving member including a plurality of separate driving elements, means guiding said drive member in straight line movements, a driven member having parts of different diameters with which said driving elements are frictionally engageable, engaging means for selectively and independently engaging certain driving elements with certain parts of said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles, and means connecting said rotatable member and driving member.

2. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former through various angles from the latter comprising in combination, a driven member on said oscillatable shaft having a plurality of frictionally engageable parts of different diameter, a driving member guided for reciprocation in a straight lin transversely to the axis of said shaft at a side thereof having a plurality of driving elements for frictionally engaging the parts of the driven member and being independently movable into and out of frictional engagement with said parts, and selective means for moving any one of said driving elements into frictional engagement with its respective part of the driven member.

3. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a driving member including a plurality of driving elements, means for guiding said driving member in straight line movements, connections connected to the rotatable member and driving member whereby said driving member may be reciprocated, a driven member having parts of different diameter with which said driving ele ments are frictionally engageable, and engaging means for selectively engaging certain driving elements with certain parts of said driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles, and said engaging means including yielding means whereby said driven member and said driving elements are yieldingly frictionally engaged.

4. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former through various angles from the latter comprising in combination, a driven member on said oscillatable shaft having a plurality of frictionally engageable parts of different diameter, a driving member guided for reciprocation in a straight line transversely to the axis of said shaft at a side thereof having a plurality of driving elements for frictionally engaging the parts of the driven member and being independently movable into and out of frictional engagement with said parts, and selective means for moving any one of said driving elements into frictional engagement with its respective part of the driven member including yielding members for acting on said driving elements and a member actuating said yieldable members.

5. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and rotatable member with means for oscillating the former by the latter comprising in combination, a driving member including a plurality of driving elements, means for guiding said drivin member in straight line movements, connections between said driving member and rotating member whereby said driving member may be reciprocated, a driven member having parts of different diameters with which certain of said driving elements are frictionally engageable with the frictional engagement being provided by angularly disposed complemental frictional faces, engaging means for selectively and independently engaging certain driving elements with certain parts of the driven member whereby said driven member may be oscillated through different angles with said engaging means including yielding means whereby said driven member and said driving members are yieldingly frictionally engaged.

6. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former through various angles from the latter comprising in combination, a driven member on said oscillatable shaft .having a plurality of frictionally engageable parts of diiTerent diameter, a driving member guided for reciprocation in a straight line transversely to the axis of said shaft at a side thereof having a plurality of driving elements for frictionally engaging the parts of the driven member and being independently movable into and out of frictional engagement with said parts, independently movable members for acting on said driving lements, and selective actuating means for actuating any one of said movable members.

7. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former through various angles from the latter comprising in combination, a driven member on said oscillatable shaft having a plurality of frictionally engageable parts of different diameter, a driving member guided for reciprocation in a straight line transversely to the axis of said shaft at aside thereof having a plurality of driving elements for frictionally engaging the parts of the driven member and being independently movable into and out of frictional engagement with said parts, independently movable members for applying yielding pressure to said driving elements, and means for selectively actuating said movable members.

8. The combination of an oscillatable shaft and a rotatable member with means for oscillating the former through various angles from the latter comprising in combination, a driven member on said oscillatable shaft having a plurality of frictionally engageable parts of diiferent diameter, a driving member guided for reciprocation in a straight line transversely to the axis of said shaft at a side thereof having a plurality of driving elements for frictionally engaging the parts of the driven member and being independently movable into and out of frictional engagement with said parts, independently movable members for applying yielding pressure to said driving elements, means for selectively actuating said movable members, and means for varying the pressure applied to the movable members.

JOHN OAKLEY. 

